Worried
by Hina20
Summary: Just a little blurb about one Sara Sidle, for now. Hopefully it'll be a GSR, but it's not there yet.
1. Banana Pancakes

**AN:** Here's the first chapter of the story. It's not done yet, obviously. I hope y'all enjoy it.

* * *

"Hey Sara," Greg greeted chipperly as he set a take out carton in front of her. "On veggie burger for you, one beef filled buffet for me," the youngest CSI stayed eagerly.

Sara looked up from the case she was currently working on. "Thanks Greg, but I'm not hungry," she answered, before returning her gaze to her work.

"Gotta take a break sometime, Sar, now is as good a time as any. Besides, food is good, and so is my special coffee…" he stated with a Greg Sanders patented crooked grin.

"Again, thanks, but no thanks Greg, on the food, anyway, I'll save that for later, the coffee I'll take now," she gave, turning around long enough to take the cup from her friend.

Greg nodded a bit and took Sara's carton. "I'll put it in the fridge for you, Sara," he answered.

"Thanks, Greg."

GSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSR

Catherine walked in about an hour or so later.

"Hey Sara," the woman greeted. "Lindsey and I are going to the mall later, care to join us?"

"No thanks, Cath," the brunette responded.

"Come on, we've got that black-tie next week, we'll find you an outfit to blow Grissom's socks off."

"I'm not concerned with Grissom's socks, Catherine. I'd rather he keep them to himself, actually."

Catherine attempted to hide the smirk that was forming at her co-workers comment. "Come on, Sara, new clothes are always fun."

"Maybe later, after we finish this case," Sara responded.

Catherine sighed as she turned, having been summarily, if not unofficially, dismissed. Once she had made her way back into the break room she shook her head at her cohorts. "Not even a bite, though she'd prefer it if Grissom kept his socks to himself."

The group chuckled, including Grissom.

"Don't worry, I intend to do just that," the man paused. "Especially after last nights decomp," he noted, grimacing a bit.

"We should probably lay off for a bit. She'll get suspicious if we don't," Catherine noted.

"Cath's right, guys. Besides, she'll never open up if we don't give her some space," Warrick noted with a shrug before pouring himself a mug of coffee.

"War's got a point. We know she's got issues, more than most, but we gotta give her time, and, hopefully, she'll choose to open up to someone," the Texan CSI gave, shaking his head a bit.

GSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSR

Grissom stopped by the layout room at the end of shift, not surprised to see Sara working intently. He thought she was working, at any rate, until he heard her light, sigh-like breathing. Grissom offered a slight smile and slipped closer.

"Sara?" he questioned.

She didn't wake up, so he shook her gently, and ended up with a fist to his cheek.

Cringing he rubbed his cheek and looked at Sara's waking form.

"You have one helluva right hook, Sidle, remind me never to piss you off," he gave before opening and closing his mouth a few times, trying to assess the damage done. "Sleep well?"

"Sorry," she murmured, indicating his cheek. "And I wasn't sleeping, I was resting my eyes."

"Well, if you were just resting your eyes, what did I do to deserve that," he motioned to her still balled up fist.

Sara rolled her eyes and stood, stretching slightly. "You don't really want me to answer that."

"Yes, I do. Come on, Sar," he sighed. "Shift's over, let's go get some breakfast," he gave, stopping her as she started to argue. "Seriously, you need some meat on your bones."

"Griss," she started, "I'm fine, I promise."

"That may be, but, we've all seen it, Sara, you're thin, you're pale, and you're distant. More so than usual. Let me take you to breakfast, whether or not you tell me what's going on, that's fine, so long as you know I'm here for you. So are Greg, Nick, Warrick and Cath."

Sara sighed. "You won't leave until I agree, will you?"

"Nope, come on," he gave before he started tidying up the layout room.

"Alright," the woman responded and started helping her supervisor.

Once the pair was done Grissom turned to Sara. "Where do you want to go?"

She shrugged. "Anywhere is fine," was her response as Gil led her out of the lab, a hand on the small of her back.

"How do pancakes sound?"

"Sounds like a plan," Sara gave, a half-grin on her face. He had a way of getting to her, no matter how hard she tried.

GSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSR

The pair showed up at the local IHOP not too long after leaving the lab. They had settled themselves in a back booth and sat in silence until their server came. Grissom ordered blueberry pancakes, Sara, meanwhile, ordered banana pancakes.

Once their pancakes arrived, Sara pulled a picture out of her wallet. Quietly she slid the picture across to Gil.

He took the image and looked at it before looking at Sara. "Your niece?" he questioned, looking back at the image of Sara's carbon copy.

"Her name is Elizabeth Cotrane, and, no, she's not my niece."

"She looks just like you, down to the gap-toothed smile," he gave.

Sara nodded, before carrying on. "Mark and Rebecca Cotrane," she pulled out a family portrait of Elizabeth, Mark and Rebecca, "are her parents. They died last week, in a car crash. Lizzy was at a friends place."

"Sara…"

"Don't tell me I'm getting too involved, Griss, I am involved," she paused, looking at the curious expression on his face. "Elizabeth Cotrane was adopted. Thirteen years ago I was in the maternity ward."

Gil blinked, he wasn't putting the pieces together.

"Gil, she's my daughter, and I have to make a decision. Do I leave her in foster care, she'll never get adopted, she's too old, or do I try to play mommy to her…"

"She's… you never said anything. Does she know?"

"Yes, she knows, she just doesn't know who. She gets why I gave her up. She's a very bright girl."

"Just like you. Is this why…" he motioned to her.

Sara nodded. "I was told right away, it's put a lot of stress on me."

"Do you want her in the system?"

"No, I mean, I was in the system and I hated it, I don't want her to go through that."

"I think you've made a decision…"

Sara nodded. "I guess I did, I just needed someone to talk to about it. Now she just has to agree to come back here, otherwise I'll have no choice but it leave her in the system. I don't know if I can do this," was stated.

"If you need anything…"

"Would you come to San Francisco with me? I don't know how long I'll be there, but company would be nice."

"We have enough vacation time worked up, I think we could both get sufficient time off. I'll call Catherine, I think we can probably leave today."

Sara nodded. "Thanks."

Grissom put in the phone call to Catherine as Sara ate her pancakes. He didn't tell Cath why the duo needed the time off, nor did he give how long they'd be gone. After he hung up with her he called his travel agent, booking two tickets to San Francisco and asked her to rent a car while she was at it.

"Our flight leaves at three, that should be enough time to pack," he offered, receiving a smile from Sara.

"You're a life saver, Griss."

* * *

TBC 


	2. Elizabeth

Time seemed to creep by for Sara, but it really wasn't that long before they were disembarking from the plane. Once off the plane they grabbed what little luggage they'd thrown together and got into Grissom's rental car. Immediately they left the airport and headed straight towards the last address Sara had gotten from the authorities as to where Lizzy was currently located.

Once there, Grissom parked at the curb and turned to look at his co-worker. "Do you want me to come with you?"

Sara shook her head, causing her brown locks to flop around. "She may find it awkward, but I appreciate the offer."

"Okay, good luck, Sara," he gave as she stepped out of the car.

GSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSR

Sara walked up to the door and rang the bell, waiting for a response. A response that was short in coming, because shortly after the bell echoed in the house a stout woman opened the door.

"Mrs. Habsheid? I'm Sara Sidle, I called you earlier, about Elizabeth…" Sara shrugged, trailing off.

"Ahh, yes, come in. Elizabeth is in the living room. Would you like something to drink?" the woman questioned as she lead Sara through the house to the living room.

"Just water, thanks," Sara responded, before she looked at her mini-me.

"Hi Elizabeth," she quietly greeted once the foster parent had brought in her water and exited the room, though Sara was sure the woman was nearby. "I'm Sara Sidle."

The girl looked up. "Hi."

"How are you holding up?"

"I miss my parents. I kinda hoped that my biological parents would come for me, but…" the teen shrugged.

"Elizabeth, Lizzy, I was called as soon as they found out, I just had to get here. I'm sorry this happened to you, and I'm sorry we had to meet under these circumstances."

Lizzy looked up, finally taking a good look at Sara. "I… I look just like you…"

"Yah, yah you do. Just like when I was thirteen."

"Are you going to take care of me?"

"If you want me to. It won't be easy. I work nights, but I know someone who has a great sitter. That, and my co-workers would love you."

"I don't want to be in the system, Ms. Sidle. You live with give other kids, at least, and, even if it's a nice home…" the girl shrugged.

"It's okay, Lizzy, I've been in the system. And, you can call me Sara, if you want to," the woman gave. "How about, if you want to, you head to your room and pack your stuff, and I'll talk to your foster mom. I'm sure she'd like to be clued in…"

Lizzy nodded and took off up the stairs, leaving Sara to find Mrs. Habsheid.

"Mrs. Habsheid?" Sara asked, finding the woman in the kitchen.

"Ms. Sidle?"

"Elizabeth has expressed her wish to come back home, with me. I have no problem with that, and have agreed."

"But… you're not her guardian."

"Actually, in the will that the Coltrane's made up, they stated that, if once I was made aware of their passing and, within the next two weeks, I decided to take her in, I would be her guardian. We agreed on this when she was born."

The woman blinked. "This is highly unorthodox."

"Unorthodox, yes, but I am Lizzy's biological mother. The Coltrane's adopted her when she was born."

"You gave her up…"

"With the provision that if something happened and Lizzy agreed, I could take her in. She agrees, and I want better for her. I was a foster child; I want her to have stability. Stability I can provide her with better than the foster system can."

Mrs. Habsheid nodded a bit. "I was told that she may not be here long, that her mother might come for her. She's such a sweet girl, too, her head always stuck in some physics book…"

"A First Course in String Theory, by Barton Zwiebach, a very good book, actually…"

Mrs. Habsheid made no comment at this, as Elizabeth had entered the room, bags in hand.

"Goodbye, Mrs. Habsheid," the girl gave before turning her green tinged, chocolate eyes to Sara, who took some of Lizzy's bags.

"Thank you for looking after her," Sara gave to the woman, before she and Lizzy left the house.

They put Lizzy's bags into the car, before she hopped in the back and did up her seatbelt.

Once Sara had ensured that Liz was safely in the back, she climbed in beside Grissom.

"Elizabeth, this is Doctor Gil Grissom. Griss, this is Elizabeth Cotrane."

"Hello, Doctor Grissom," the girl greeted.

"You can call me Gil, Miss Elizabeth."

"And you can call me Lizzy, everyone does," she responded.

"Lucky, he doesn't say that to anyone," Sara piped up, glad the two were getting along.

"I do to, I said the same thing to you at the entomology lecture," Grissom pointed out.

"True, but now I can't," she offered with a laugh.

"Why not? Cath does."

"Cath does whatever she pleases," was Sara's response, smirk included.

"She sounds like an interesting person," Lizzy gave.

"She is, and so is everyone else that we work with. You'll get to meet all of them. Catherine has a daughter, Lindsey, she's a few years older than you," Sara noted, turning to smile at her daughter.

Grissom just grinned before he elected to speak. "I figure we could stay at a hotel tonight, fly back tomorrow. If that's okay with the two you of…" he suggested.

The passenger's both nodded.

"Sounds good," was Lizzy's comment.

"Same here," Sara offered as both her and Liz turned matching smiles on Grissom.

"Miss Elizabeth, you are going to break a few hearts someday," Griss gave.

"Why do you say that? Lizzy questioned.

"Because, I know Sara, and you are too much like her not to."

"I haven't broken any hearts, Grissom."

"Yes, you have, you just don't know it," he responded with a crooked smile as he pulled into the hotel parking lot.

"Aright, Miss Lizzy, why don't you help Sara grab the overnight bags, or whatever you need. I'll be back out once we've got our rooms," he gave to the two before he went into the hotel.

Sara and Liz nodded and climbed out of the black Pontiac. They had only just finished grabbing the bags when Grissom returned, keys in hand.

"Two adjoining rooms, up on the fourth floor," he noted, taking his own bag and grabbing Lizzy's.

The trio then proceeded to enter the Huntington Hotel and walked into the elevator.

"Now, Lizzy," Sara started, "you've got a decision or two to make, first you have to decide if you want to share a room, and second you'll have to decide who you want to share with, if you do want a roomie for the night."

Grissom quietly chuckled as he watched Sara slowly fall into the roll of a mother.

Lizzy pondered Sara's question for a few minutes. "Well, I'm not really fond of unfamiliar places, especially hotels," she turned to look at Sara. "Can I stay with you?"

"Of course you can," Sara responded as she elevator doors opened and they got out.

"Rooms 420 and 422. Right… here," Grissom noted, chuckling. "After you, Lizzy," he gave, opening the door for Liz and Sara, so that they could enter the room.

Upon walking into the room Elizabeth looked around and blinked. "Wow, it's gorgeous," she stated, simply.

"It really is, Griss, I can't believe you'd rent a place _here_ of all places."

"Well, Miss Sidle, there's a lovely young lady here who doesn't really know either of us, and she did just spend the last week in foster care. I think she deserves a little spoiling."

Sara gave her supervisor a smirk. "Great, now all of graveyards going to spoil you, including Brass. I thought, at the very least, that Griss would be the voice of reason."

"I don't mind, Sara, I like being spoiled," Liz gave, receiving a laugh from her mom.

"Why don't you two take this room and I'll go next door," Gil offered, chuckling a little as he went to the hallway door and made sure it was locked.

Liz and Sara gave him a nod in response.

"Go on, Griss, get some sleep."

"Yes, Ma'am, you too," he gave with a smirk, before going though the connecting washroom and into his own room.

"Sara, where will I go to school?"

"Well, I was thinking that maybe you could go to the same school as Lindsey. It's a private school, but it's got a great academic program," Sara responded.

"When will I start?"

"When you're ready, but not too long. I don't want you to fall behind in your studies."

"Okay. I'm tired, I'm going to go to bed, if that's okay," Liz gave before digging out her PJ's and heading to the washroom.

Sara proceeded to grab her own sleepwear and slipped into it while Liz was in the washroom.

Once both had changed they crawled into their respective beds and turned the lamps off. Lizzy fell asleep almost instantly. Sara stayed awake for a few more hours before she too drifted off.

* * *

**AN: **Yes, the Huntington Hotel is a hotel in San Francisco. Yes, the book mentioned is an actual book, it's about Theoretical Physics (Sara's major at Harvard), and the author I listed really is the author, I couldn't come up with that kind of name if I tried. 


	3. Puhlease?

**AN: **Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up, but I've got a few more written up and just waiting to be typed up and put up here.

And, I do not, at all, as much as I may want to, own CSI, or the characters, except the obvious ones.

* * *

They rested peacefully that night, sleeping straight through to the next morning. 

Elizabeth cracked en eye open and remembered what happened and where she was. Turning towards Sara's bed she saw that the older woman wasn't there. Quickly Lizzy got dressed and grabbed her hairbrush of the nightstand, where she saw the note that Sara had left her. It stated that she was in Grissom's room and that Lizzy should join them for breakfast, which she did.

Their meal was uneventful; mostly they spent time getting to know each other, mainly Liz getting to know Sara and Grissom. The trio also finalized their plans for the trip back to Vegas.

Grissom had made the arrangements with his travel agent to leave that afternoon, that way Sara, and himself, if they wanted, would have plenty of time to get Lizzy adjusted to the new environment. Once they where back in Vegas, Sara and Liz would have lots of shopping to do, with Catherine and Lindsay.

"Alright, One pm is the flight back, so we better make sure we're packed. Sara, if the two of you are up for it, I'm sure that Catherine wouldn't mind going shopping with Lindsey and the two of you," he suggested.

"Hey, my tastes aren't that bad, Griss."

"Your walls are purple, Sara, all of them."

"Not all of them, just the one's you've seen," Sara gave in retort.

"I've seen enough to know that Catherine should go, besides, she knows what teenage girls like," he responded.

"My walls won't be purple, will they? I mean, I love purple, but, not that much, and not on my walls."

"No, Lizzy, the walls in that room are white, we can paint them. That is, if you want to."

"Awesome, I've always wanted to decorate my room. Can we go shopping? Puh-lease," she drew out the last word.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt for you to get to know Lindsey," Sara finally relented with a sigh, though it didn't take much to get it out of her.

"Great! I'm gonna go shower and pack, and get changed. I've always wanted to see what Las Vegas was like!" Liz exclaimed as she took off towards the other room.

Grissom did all he could to stifle the laugh as he watched the interaction between the two. It was evident to him that he didn't do a good enough job, when she turned towards him.

"What?"

"What?" he enquired in return.

"You're grinning."

"You're acting like a mother…"

Sara just shook her head and proceeded to get ready for the flight home as Grissom did the same thing. He, however, did it laughing at the sight of Sara Sidle, mom.

GSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSR

Once they had landed and grabbed their luggage, the trio piled their stuff into Gil's Denali. Once inside they SUV they proceeded to Sara's apartment, where they grabbed what they could of Sara and Lizzy's stuff and took the elevator up to the third floor.

Once they reached her door, Sara juggled her bags and grabbed her keys, taking several attempts to unlock the door.

"Wow, it really is purple…" were Lizzy's words, upon entering the suite.

"Very purple," Gil replied, receiving a jab in the side from Sara.

"C'mon, Liz, let's go see what the room that will be yours," she gave, leading her daughter to the former guest room.

With Liz's bags deposited Sara headed to the kitchen and poured everyone a glass of water, just as Grissom's cell went off.

"Grissom," he answered.

"Yes, we just got back."

Sara looked at Grissom, who mouthed Catherine's name to her.

"Catherine, you know I…" he was cut-off.

"I'm busy. Thank you for the flattery… Yes I apprec… buts, yes, I got… Would you stop cutting me off? Catherine, it's seven, we just walked in," Gil sighed.

"We left at one. No, we went for dinner. Then we drove around. Not, it wasn't a date, Catherine," he sighed again. "Goodbye," he said, hanging up the phone and looking at Sara.

"Catherine thinks she needs the whole team. I'll go."

Lizzy looked at them. "Can I go? I mean, Sara has to go, an' I don't wanna be left here. I'll stay outta the way, I promise."

Sara looked at Grissom, who nodded.

"If it's okay with Sara, but you'll probably be stuck with Wendy most of the shift."

"That's okay."

Sara nodded in response. "Okay, let's go."

Sara and Liz proceeded to get some stuff together for the girl to do before piling back into Grissom's SUV.


	4. Author's Note

Hey guys, sorry to those of you who have been patiently waiting for me to update this story. I've hit a rough spot with this story, and it's just not working out the way I want it to, I'm seriously considering re-writing it, from start to finish.

If you have any ideas on the story, a plot arc, or what not, feel free to send it my way, I have no clue where the story will go once I re-write it, if I do re-write it, which I probably will, I'd hate to leave y'all hanging.


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